This invention relates to an improved door opener and latch device and, more particularly, to a door opener and latch device useful in combination with cabinets having panels which pivot about a horizontal axis.
With the increase in popularity of recreational vehicles, various accessories for such vehicles have come into demand. Among such accessories are interior storage cabinets. Typically, such storage cabinets include a front panel or door which is hinged along its top edge to swing from a vertical closed position outward and upward about a horizontal axis to an open position. When the panel is in the vertical closed position, it is desirable to have a latch mechanism which will retain the panel in the closed position. Such a latch mechanism should resist sudden jars or bumps which may occur in a recreational vehicle.
Additionally, such a latch mechanism is desirably concealed or semi-concealed so that hardware will not be exposed on the outside of the panel. That is, hardware may project dangerously into the interior of the vehicle and provide a source of injury or damage. Thus, for reasons of safety, it is desirable to maintain the latch mechanism as a concealed or semi-concealed mechanism.
Latch mechanisms of this general nature have been disclosed in prior art patents. For example, Beckman in U.S. Pat. No 3,797,870 discloses a flush mounted handle, latch bolt lock and housing assembly. The Beckman device may be flush mounted in a vertical door panel of a recreational vehicle in a manner that avoids dangerous exposure of the latch.
While the latch mechanism disclosed in the Beckman patent is sufficient and adequate for its intended purpose, a feature not provided by the Beckman device is a mechanism which, upon release thereof, partially opens the vertical door to form a gap between the door and the frame. The foregoing features and considerations are among those which inspired the development of the present invention.